Haemostasis in children: anything new?

Our understanding of haemostatic mechanisms has increased in the last decades. This knowledge at the cellular and molecular levels has helped us to appreciate the complexity of haemostatic mechanisms and their disturbance in various disorders. The advance in techniques to measure early activation of coagulation and platelets opens hope of treating acquired bleeding disorders e.g., disseminated intravascular coagulation before the full blown picture. More study needs to be done to define what constitutes normal haemostasis in newborns. The better understanding of control mechanisms of haemostasis will help us in diagnosis and treatment.